No Idea What to Get Your Sweetie for Valentine’s Day? Let Wantful Take Care of It

This new e-service lets the giftee select a present from a personalized catalogue filled with cool options.

The past year with your new boyfriend has been wonderful. You’ve cooked amazing dinners together, explored new neighborhoods, and had tons of fun. This Valentine’s day, all you want to do is celebrate how much you really like each other. You’ve found the perfect outfit and scored a reservation at that killer restaurant you’ve both been dying to try. February 14 is going to be great, you can just tell. The only problem: You still need to buy a present and have no idea where to begin.

Allow us to introduce Wantful, a two-month-old gifting site that could be the answer to your prayers. It takes the information you provide about the recipient’s tastes and interests and selects a range of gift ideas for you to narrow down and for your lucky special someone to pick from. At the end of the day, it’s his choice, so how can you go wrong?

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How It WorksThe site asks you a series of questions about the person you’re buying for, including his name, the nature of your relationship, and his hobbies, tastes, and personal style. You may answer as few or as many of these questions as you’d like, but of course, the more information you give, the better.

Once you’ve answered some questions, Wantful suggests a variety of gifts arranged by price, so you can tailor the selection to how much you want to spend. They range from clothing and accessories to housewares, art, and gadgets, and many come from artisans whose work is not widely available. You select the 16 gifts you like best (and are all priced the same), and Wantful’s staff assembles a customized booklet with pictures and descriptions of your items and a cover and note of your choosing. You then pay and enter your shipping information, and in about four business days, you receive a booklet to hand over to your honey. Last-minute shoppers, don’t fear: You can opt for delivery by e-mail or Facebook if you don’t have time to wait for the printed version.

What Happens NextYou go on your Valentine’s Day date. You talk about how delicious your food is and how great you look. Then you hand over your book, and after he admires your creativity and thoughtfulness, your guy chooses his favorite from your selections. Using a code provided in the booklet, he goes back to the site at his leisure to select one of your gifts and enter a shipping address. In about a week, it’s all his!

Why We Like ItWantful CEO John Poisson puts it best, saying that gift giving these days often feels like a transaction, and it shouldn’t. “It should be a meaningful experience,” he says. “It should be beautiful and it should bring joy, and that’s what we try to do.” More than that, he continues, Wantful’s goal is to help you discover “exceptional products that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”

A gift-giving service that lets us score major girlfriend points and avoid a trip to the mall? Sign us up.